Speak Out Against Walmart's Cruelty to Pigs

Do you think it’s acceptable to cram an animal into a crate so small she can’t even turn around, lie down comfortably, walk, run, play, or engage in other basic behaviors? Walmart does.

In fact, the pork sold at Walmart comes from factory farms where pregnant pigs spend nearly their entire lives locked in narrow, metal gestation crates—cages barely larger than their own bodies.

How do I know? Because I’ve seen it with my own eyes. I am an investigator with Mercy For Animals, and for more than two months I worked undercover at Christensen Farms, a factory farm that supplies pork to Walmart. The misery and abuse that I witnessed at this factory farm will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Thousands of pregnant pigs were confined to barren metal crates barely larger than their own bodies. These pigs could not turn around. They could not walk. They could not even lie down comfortably. I saw pigs with open wounds and bloody pressure sores from rubbing against the bars of their metal cages or lying on hard concrete. Pigs would constantly ram their heads against their tiny stalls or spend day after day, hour after hour, biting the bars of their cages out of frustration. These intelligent and social animals would go insane from boredom and stress.

While all of the abuses I witnessed at Christensen Farms were horrific, the use of gestation crates for pregnant pigs is perhaps the cruelest factory farming practice in the world. In fact, gestation crates are so cruel they have been banned in nine US states, as well as in the entire European Union.

Recognizing their inherent cruelty, major food providers, including McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Chipotle, and major grocery retailers, including Safeway, Kroger, Kmart, Costco and Whole Foods, have all started demanding their suppliers do away with these cruel crates. But Walmart continue to support blatant animal abuse by selling pork from suppliers who confine pigs in tiny crates.

I am asking that you help the pigs whose suffering I witnessed, as well as the millions of others across the nation who are subjected to similar abuses. Please take a moment to sign my petition urging Walmart to do the right thing and demand their pork suppliers stop confining pigs in cruel gestation crates.

Thank you.

“John” Undercover Investigator

Letter to

Walmart

Walmart

President and CEO, Walmart InternationalDoug McMillon

and 4 others

President and CEO, Walmart U.S.Bill Simon

Chairman of the Board of DirectorsRobson Walton

Fred Bedore

President and Chief Executive Officer, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.Mike Duke

I was shocked and horrified by the animal abuse recently documented on hidden camera by Mercy For Animals at one of your pork suppliers. I expected better from your company. The video shows pregnant pigs locked in narrow gestation crates so small they are unable to even turn around, walk, lie down comfortably, or engage in most other natural behaviors.

The treatment of pigs at your supplier is absolutely unacceptable. Common sense tells us that animals with legs should be able to walk, run, and exercise.

Your company has the power and the ethical responsibility to require your pork suppliers to phase out these inherently cruel gestation crates. Many of the country’s largest grocery retailers and fast-food restaurants, including Costco, Safeway, Kroger, Kmart, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s, have already done so. Further, nine US states have banned pig gestation crates.

What are you waiting for? It is time that your company takes a stand against animal abuse by ending the sale of pork from suppliers who confine pregnant pigs in these outdated and barbaric crates.

Until your company decides to do the right thing, I will be taking my business elsewhere.